The Weakerthans' Mobile Rock Unit
These are the details, more or less: they stared with Pamphleteer; John K. plays an Ibanez Talman; the sound was great for a room that operates as a food court during the day; their set was about half new material (from the forthcoming album Reconstruction Site), and half songs from Left and Leaving and Fallow; they didn't play Anchorless.
But the most remarkable thing was how the intimacy of their songs carried through into the show. There was a warmth in the room, like we were welcoming an old friend instead of watching a gig. The 200-odd fans sang along for most of the night. And when John K. announced that he might not remember all of the words to "My Favourite Chords," the crowd sang a little louder to help him through. Another perfect moment that hangs in my mind is John cradling his guitar during "This is a fire door (never leave open)" while he sings these lines (which just happen to be my favourite Weakerthans' lyrics): "show me there's a pull/ unassailable/ that will lead you there/ from the dark alone/ to benevolence that you've never known/ or you knew when you were four/ and can't remember."
Early yesterday I was feeling a good deal of regret for missing this year's IA Summit. But not anymore.
In other news, local ska band Mad Bomber Society opened with a raucous set. The funniest line of the night goes to my friend Darren: "every time a roommate moves out my good pants disappear and I've got three extra cheese graters."
